Trap



April 24, 1945.

E. F. ANDREWS TRAP Filed Dec. 15, 1943 lwentor Gttomeg Patented Apr. 24, 1945 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAP Edward F. Andrews, Youngstown, ohio Application December 15, 1943, Serial No. 514,580 s Claims. (C1. 43`sn This invention relates to a trap and more particularly to a trap for catching small animals such as rats, mice, etc. ='I he principal object of the invention is the provision of a trap incorporating a sensitive trigger assembly of simple construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a trap provided with means for conveniently removing animals trapped therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision'of a trap formed with normally opened ends'V provided with elevated doors, which doors are-simultaneously released by a single trigger member and adapted to close the open ends "of the'trap. i

The trap disclosed herein ,has been designed primarily' for catching rats which, as is known, cause considerable damage in various commercial properties. The trap of the invention is, therefore', particularly adapted for use in commercial properties where it may be examined once a day and is so designed that animals caught during the interval preceding inspection may be removed in a removable'section of the trap conveniently and easily and disposed of by killing While in the removable portion of the trap. It has been determined that when a common cage type trap as heretofore known in the art is used for catching rats, the rats apparently sense the purpose of the trap, particularly when the trap is used for drowning the captured animal. It has further beendetermined that rats dislike to enter any area from which an escape is not apparently readily available.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the y invention resides in the combination land arrangement of-parts and in the details of 'contive trigger member incorporated in the trap il-f lustrated in Figure 1. y

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the trap shown in Figure l showing the temporary attachment thereto yof theremovable portion thereof provided for the removal of thevanimals trapped thereby. v

Figure 4 is a. perspective elevation of -the removable portion ofthe trap shown in'Figure 3. By referring to the drawing and lFigure 1 in particular, it will beseen that the trap proper consists of a base preferably formed of wood and indicated by the numeral I0 upon which a rec- .tangular enclosure -II has been formed preferably of wire mesh or expanded metal, the ends I2 and I3 being provided with frame formations as indicated and otherwise left open. A pair of double door assemblies are provided andare 'indicatedby the numerals I4 and I5 and may consist of solid pieces of material or sections of wire mesh on appropriate frames or vpieces of eX- panded'metal as desired. These doors I4 and I5 are' aixed at their uppermost vedges to frame members I6 and I1,vrespectively, which in turn are pivoted at their opposite ends by pivots I8 and I9 to portions of the rectangular trap structure inwardly from the outer ends thereof. Base members 20 and 2I,respectively, insure the positioning of the doors Ill and I5 with respect to the frame members I6 and I1. It will be observed that the frame members I6 and I1 are duplicated at each side of the trap as well as at eachend thereof. In order that the doors I 4 and I5 together with their frames I6 and I1 may be held in elevated relation to the trap structure II and thereby provide an open passageway completely through the trap, trigger bars 22 and 23, respectively, are pivoted to the frames IGand I 1 and extends inwardly from its pivot point and overlaps the other pivot bar a considerable distance. One of the pivot bars, that indicated by the numeral 23 is provided with one or more pins 24 on the side thereof, which pins 24 are adapted to engage appropriately sized openings 25 formed inthev other pivoted bar 22. The pins 24 are long enough so that a flattened section 26 of a vertically positioned trigger member 21 may be positioned between the trigger bars 22 and 23 before the pins 24 are engaged in the openings 25 in the trigger bar 22. The trigger member 21, as is best illustrated in Figure 2, is preferably positioned atone side of the trap structure and is preferablyrmed of a section of round stock flattened at one point to provide the thin, at portion 26 which is adapted to be positioned between the trigger bars as heretofore described.

It will thus be'seen that any rotation of the trigger member 21 will cause the thin, flat por- .tion 26 Vof the trigger member 21 to revolve and push the rigger bars 22 and 23 apart as the pins 24- disengage from the openings 25. When this occurs the resulting action will be the immediate dropping of the doors I 4 and I5, which action may be assisted by spring means if desired. In actual practice it has been determined that the Weight of the doors I 4 and I5 and the frame structure I 6 and I1 will cause sufciently rapid closing action. The trigger member 21 is positioned through anopening 28 in the frame structure of the trap Il and the lower-most end there.- of is positioned in an ppropriatelyg'shaped open ing or Vsocket"29`in`th Wooden r" I0 of the trap. A horizontally positioned arm 30 is atltached to or formed on the trigger member 21 near the lowermost portion thereof and extends outwardly a few inches and is providedwith an upturned point 3I upon which the baiti's' adapted to be rmly positioned. 1

It will thus be seen that in set position, as illus-f trated in Figure 1, the doors are in elevated position and bait is positioned on the prQngSjSI Which form portions of the trigger member 21. position it will be observed .that a rat approachins the trop can see.. a clear .passageway oompletely through .the trap and `.further can seethe boit as it .is in approximately the center of the trap supported above the -oorvby the armati, Upon the animals .entering the trap. and attemptins .to take the bait. then-isser member 21 rotates causing the operation of the trigger bars 22 and 23 and the immediate closing of Athe vdoors I4 and l5. In order 'that the animals maybe oonvenontly removed from the trap without disturb.- ing the trap itself or using-1t for drowning .the animals as is common. a side. door 3? is provided and is positionedover an opening insdothe trap Il and hold ill-position by.v suitably. vertically positioned guides 3 3. The doprz: is capable of vertical movement in the guides 3 3.

By referring to Figure 3 it will be seen .that a detaohable portion of the. trap consisting of a small box-like structure 34 PrOVided with a handie 35 and a vertically sliding door 36 is attaohed to the side of the trap II by means of hooks 31 and the doors 36 and 32 are held in Open POSiton manually whim. animals are removed from the trapping section of the trap. The relatively small box-like structure 34 is open at both ends and the opposite end is provided with an attached sack 38. It has been determined that the trapped animals immediately seek safety in the darkness of the interior of the sack leaving the trap by way of the small boxdike structure -311 which has been attached temporarily over the doorway normally closed by the Vdoor 32. When this occurs the doors 36 and 32 on the detachable portion 34 of the trap and the trap proper ll Amay be closed and the animals disposed 'of by killing them in the sack in which they' have sought refge. Tnus, there is no' oontannnadon of 'the trap itself in the killing of the "trapped animals and no odors are left which would serve to warn other animals when the trap is again set. 4The resetting of the trap is readily accomplished by lifting the doors I4 and I5 and turning the' trigger member 21 so that'the trigger bars 22 and 23 may be engaged as heretofore described with the section ct the trigger .member thercbe tween. The trap is then ready for .subsequent operation. I

It will thus be seen that a relatively simple and extremely ecient trap 11915 disclosed 'which can be economically produced and which will. due to the provision for the'dispo'sal fh'the ani..

mals caught therein, continue to be of value as a trap over an unlimited time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a trap consisting of an enclosure of suitable material and provided with open ends, door structures pivotally aiiixed to the said enclosure and adapted to close the said ends when lowered, means for holding the said door structures in elevated relation to the said enclosure, said means comprising a pair of bars each attached at its outermost end to a corresponding door structure and adapted to be separably attached to each other at their innermost ends, and trigger means in said enclosure for separating the said bars from one another so as to permit the door structures to close.

2. In a trap consisting of an enclosure of sultable material and provided with open ends, door structures pivotally aflixed to the said enclosure and adapted to close the said ends when lowered, means for holding the said door structures in elevated relation to the said enclosure, said means comprising a pair of bars each attached at. lts outermost end to a corresponding door structure and adaptedto be separably attached to each other at their innermost ends, trigger means in said enclosure for separating the said bars from one another so as to permit the door structures to close, and means for removing animals trapped in the said enclosure, said means including .a normally closed doorway in the said enclosure structure and a detachable secondary trap struc-V ture provided with a normally closed doorway and adapted to 'be positioned adjacent the said doorway in the said enclosure.

3. In a trap consisting of an enclosure o f suitable material and provided with open ends, door structures pivotally aiixed to the said enclosure and adapted to close the said ends when lowered,

4 means for holding the said door structures in elevated relation to the said enclosure, said means comprising a pair of bars each attached at its outermost end to a corresponding door structure and adapted to be separably attached to each other at their innermost ends, trigger means in said enclosure for separating the said bars from one another so as to permit the door structures to close, and means for removing animals trapped in the said enclosure, said means including a normally closed doorway in the said enclosure and a detachable secondary trap structure provided with a, normally closed doorway and adapted to be positioned adjacent the said doorway in the said enclosure, the said secondary trap including a sack-like structure.

4. A trap consisting of a box-like structure having open ends, an opening formed in one side of the said structure and a normally closed door axed to the said opening, a detachable secondary trap structure adapted to be attached to the said trap over the said side door, a door formed on the said secondary trap structure and a sack attached thereto, door structures pivoted to the said box-like structure inwardly from the outer ends thereof and adapted to close the open ends thereof when lowered, the said door'structures being held in elevated position when the trap is'setsby means o'f bars pivoted to the door structurcat their. outermost ends and one .0f the bars having means secured thereto for engaging the other, and a trigger member Positioned in the said box-like. structure to which bait may be affixed, said trigger member having a flattened section adjacent the uppermost end thereof and between the said bars and adapted to disengage the same upon movement of the bait holding portion thereof as by an animal taking the bait.

5. In a trap structure including doors, a movably positioned vertical rod, a prong formed adjacent the lowermost end of the said rod for the attachment of bait thereto, said rod having a at section nearthe upper end thereof, the said at section being normally positioned longitudinally of the said trap structure, and bars releasably afxed to one another and normally supporting said doors, said bars being positioned one on each side of said rod adjacent said dat section thereof, so as to be disengaged by the movement of the said rod to permit the said doors to close.

6. A trap consisting of two enclosures, one comprising a trapping section consisting of a box-like section having open ends and normally elevated doors held by trigger means to which bait may be attached, and a door formed in one side of thetrapping section, the secondary enclosure adapted to be attached to the said trapping section, said secondary enclosure including a sack for receiving animals trapped in the trapping enclosure and providing a convenient means for disposing of the trapped animals.

EDWARD F. ANDREWS. 

